China's major warning to New Zealand
China has told New Zealand there will be "negative consequences" if the country joins Australia, the UK and the US in the military pact AUKUS.
Chinese ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong told RNZ such a move "will have a negative impact on the [China-New Zealand] relationship".
"Trust is one of the most precious but also one of the most fragile commodities. It may take years to build up; it just might take seconds to be destroyed," he said, according to the Global Times.
"We would advise against anything that threatens to erode that very important trust between us."
Australia has invested heavily in AUKUS, with up to $368 billion to be spent on boosting military readiness, with the centrepiece a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. The pact has been widely seen as a direct counter to China's military growth and increased presence in the Indo-Pacific.
But China has repeatedly slammed the group, accusing the countries of harbouring a "cold war mentality".